finsmart-news_admin 
Horizon Trading Solutions has launched Horizon Compass, a new Smart Order Router (SOR) built to enhance execution performance for institutional and retail brokers. The firm said the SOR is designed to address liquidity fragmentation and rising trading volumes, while meeting global best execution standards.
The company confirmed that Horizon Compass is already connected to over 80 global trading venues, including lit markets, dark pools, and conditional order books. The platform integrates with Horizon’s existing algorithmic trading framework and provides full execution traceability, performance monitoring, and compliance reporting under MiFID II and Reg NMS.
Optimal Execution, Premier Liquidity Provision and Compliance for Brokers
Yannick Martin, Head of Agency Trading Product at Horizon Trading Solutions, commented, “Horizon Compass is a ready-to-deploy Smart Order Router that gives you the performance of a custom-built solution, without the complexity, cost, or delays of in-house development. Unlike in-house SORs that take years to mature, Horizon Compass is proven, and latency-optimized. It’s built to meet your execution goals today and flexible enough to evolve with your future needs.”
Horizon said the SOR is underpinned by Aeron, a low-latency, high-throughput messaging platform that allows the system to scale efficiently under volatile conditions. The integration of Horizon Compass into its algorithmic trading architecture enables clients to consolidate workflows while retaining full control over execution strategies.
According to the firm, this approach will help regional brokers compete with larger players by providing them with institutional-grade execution quality and infrastructure. Horizon Compass supports both off-the-shelf algorithms and in-house-developed strategies, offering a unified execution environment without the need for third-party SOR providers.
Sylvain Thieullent, CEO of Horizon Trading Solutions, commented, “Our innovative new SOR, Horizon Compass, is a crucial milestone in the progression of our agency trading offering. Horizon’s global client base of institutional and retail brokers can now benefit from optimal execution, premier liquidity provision, and streamlined regulatory compliance all within one platform.”
The launch follows growing demand for SOR systems that can adapt to complex and fragmented trading environments without compromising on performance. Horizon said the platform is available immediately and supports rapid integration across multi-asset strategies.
Horizon Onboarded EFG Hermes for Algo Trading in MENA
Horizon recently onboarded EFG Hermes which wanted to upgrade its algorithmic trading offering for securities brokerage clients across the Middle East and North Africa.
The investment bank will deploy Horizon’s suite of trading algorithms, including VWAP, TWAP, Percent of Volume, and Implementation Shortfall, to improve trade execution efficiency. These tools are designed to operate across financial networks in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Egypt. The implementation will begin in the second half of 2025.
The architecture includes algo servers placed across the region, supported by Horizon’s Order Management System and Algo Router. This infrastructure will manage order flow and execution, streamlining operations for EFG Hermes’ buy-side clients.
Horizon Trading Solutions, with over 25 years of experience, offers a multi-asset trading platform that supports equities, derivatives, and virtual assets. The company focuses on delivering customizable trading infrastructure to capital markets participants through exchange connectivity and algorithmic technology.
